Flowering Tea

Flowering teas or blooming teas (香片, 工艺茶, or 开花茶 in
Chinese). Above middle is one
of the first tea balls. This was made by simply tying together tea
leaves and shaping them into a ball. The picture above centre shows one
of the most basic types of flowering teas and is made with green tea
leaves and a globe amaranth flower. As flowering teas became more and
more popular more and designs emerged. The above right is a picture
shows one of the more complex designs, this tea ball is tied with green
tea, lily and releases marigold petals as it opens up.

Hand-tied teas have existed in China for centuries in the
form of teas such as mudans and pagodas.
These teas were simply green or black tea leaves that were moulded or
tied into shape. In the last twenty
years, hand-tied teas have progressed as makers have added flowers and petals
to the tea to make more complex shapes and performances.

To make flowering teas, tea leaves are hand sown with cotton
whilst still damp and shaped into a beautiful and complex arrangement. The whole process takes between one to ten
minutes, depending on the complexity of the tea flower. Most flowering teas are made from what is a
green tea leaf plucked from a white tea bush, although flowering teas can also
be tied with black, oolong, green and white tea leaves. The most commonly used flowers are globe amaranth, chrysanthemum, jasmine, lily, marigold and carnation.

We recommend Chah. Chah has a wide range flowering tea for
excellent prices. Chah sources it tea directly from tea growers so you
can relax in the knowledge that your getting a great deal and the tea's
ethically sourced too.